


It's All About Chemistry

by thewolfthatwrites



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, M/M, Party, Rare Pairings, Shopping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-15
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-12-15 00:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewolfthatwrites/pseuds/thewolfthatwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a slow day at work for Lydia. The last thing she expected was a little excitement to come in the form of the man who walks in looking lost while seeking out a new cologne.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's All About Chemistry

**Author's Note:**

> A big giant thank you to my two betas [clawstoagunfight](../../users/clawstoagunfight) and [xblessthefall](../users/xblessthefall). This would not have gotten finished without the two of them. They are both incredible writers and readers, I'm lucky to have them!
> 
> The end note contains a spoiler!

            She twirls a strand of her long strawberry blond locks between her fingers and blows out a breath. “I hate slow days. They are so tedious.”

            Her co-worker, Kali rolls her eyes back. Just as she opens her mouth to retort, a slew of customers enter the makeup, fragrance, and beauty boutique. “I hate it when you jinx us.”

            “I don’t, we need some excitement!” Lydia says with a laugh as Kali glides gracefully to the front of the narrow store.

            Lydia watches as a man in his mid-twenties breaks away from the others and moves toward the men’s fragrance section of the shop. Once his eyes scans over all the choices, a look of distress covers his handsome features.

            “You look a little lost,” Lydia states as she makes her way to where he’s standing. “Is there anything I can help you find?”

            “I guess I didn’t realize there were so many to choose from. My girlfriend always bought my cologne.” His features transform from distressed to sheepish as he speaks.

            “Well, do you know what kind it was? Maybe describe the bottle and scent? I can help you find it.”

            “I’m actually looking for something new,” he says, offering a tiny smile. “I emptied the bottle I had a couple weeks ago. I think I’m finally ready to…branch out.”

            Lydia nods slightly and turns to the lighted wall beside them, “Perfect place to do so.”

            “That’s what I was thinking.” His smile widens, the left side of it lifting slightly higher than the right.

            “Why don’t we start here then?” Lydia suggests. She can’t help the echoing smile that tugs at her own lips. She grabs a scent strip and the newest cologne that had come in. She rattles off the name and brand as she holds it up to his aquiline nose.

            His face scrunches up as he replies, “Perhaps something less…floral?”

            Lydia drops the used scent strip into the front pocket of her apron as she scans the closest bottles and selects one with an earthy scent.

            “Better,” he says, shrugging his shoulders.

            The two go through the same routine with nearly a dozen other fragrances. None of which receive more than a half-smile from the man.

            “We have half-ounce sample bottles available in many of the scents.” Lydia proposes once she realizes he most likely won’t be sold on a final scent too quickly. “We can pull five fragrances that you like, and you’ll be able to take them home and try them out. Would that be something you’d be interested in?”

            “I suppose that would work for now.”

            “Would you mind if I pick some? Sometimes a fragrance will smell better with wear; once it’s mixed with your body chemistry.”

            “I don’t mind.”

            “What was the scent you used to wear? So I don’t accidentally pull it and cause a mental breakdown.”

            “I hardly think it would cause a breakdown,” he says, rolling his lightly colored eyes.

            “But just to be on the safe side…” she prods.

            “It was _Calvin Klein: Euphoria_ ,” he tells her with a grin.

            “Thanks; I’ll be right back with some of the samples then, feel free to check out some more.” Lydia speaks as she begins to move backward. She spots Kali back at the register once she turns around and widens her eyes.

            “God, please tell me I’m not drooling,” Lydia whispers.

            “No. You look perfect, as usual,” Kali scoffs as Lydia walks by.

            A few minutes later, Lydia leads the man back to the register to ring him up. She had found five scents that she thought might work for him.

            “That’ll be eighteen even,” she tells him with a smile.

            He draws his wallet out of his back pocket and pulls a twenty dollar bill out.         

            “Try these out and hopefully we’ll see you again soon for a full bottle.” Lydia keeps smiling as she places the samples into a bag.

            “Thank you,” he says, his crooked smile causes the skin around his eyes to wrinkle.

            Lydia can’t help the sigh that leaves her as he exits the shop.

/\ \/ /\ \/

            Two weeks and four distractions later Lydia still can’t get the mystery shopper out of her head. She’s at work reorganizing the lip gloss display a group of middle school girls had just destroyed. She kept finding herself glancing up every time someone entered the store. Kali, being closer to the entrance, would greet them as ask if they needed help.

            Halfway through their shift they had migrated toward one another in the middle of the store.

            “He’ll probably never come in again. It’s just my luck to be attracted to a customer who pays with cash. I didn't even get his name.”

            “Oh my god, you need to shut up. You’re giving me a migraine,” Kali complains loudly.

            “Sorry! It’s not like I didn’t try to forget him. There was Xander, Ezra, Aidan, and Robert; all of whom were fun for a night, but they weren’t enough.”

            Kali pushes Lydia’s shoulder, effectively turning her around. Standing right inside the door is the man.

            “Now you have to shut up about him,” Kali whispers before shoving Lydia toward him.

            “Hi again,” Lydia greets with a smile. “Did you figure out with one you like?”      

            “Not exactly. I did narrow it down though,” he speaks as he steps further into the store. “I only really liked one of them.”

            “But not enough to buy more of it?”

            “Exactly,” he answers. “Perhaps you’d be able to suggest similar ones?”

            “Of course,” she affirms. “What was the name of it?”

            He recalls the name for her and watches as she locates it on the wall. She mists a scent stick and brings it up to her nose. “I can think of some that are close to this. Did anyone compliment it while you were wearing it?”

            “Kind of, it was more of a comment on it; I wouldn’t exactly call anything coming from him a compliment.”

            Lydia raises one perfectly sculpted eyebrow, silently urging him to continue.

            “He just asked why I smelled different every time he saw me. I told him I was looking for something new; he said that one was the best.”

            “Okay,” Lydia says. She purses her lips and looks from the wall to the man, then back again. “Are you looking to narrow it down to one today, or would you like another sample set?”

            “I’m thinking the samples again. I noticed you put in a sample of one I didn’t care for in the store; I tried it and while it smelled a bit different on, I still didn’t care for it.”

            “It’s all about chemistry,” she replies with an easy smile. “I’ll be right back with the new ones for you to try.”

/\ \/ /\ \/

            “Leave me alone, Stiles, I’m working.” Lydia frowns at her best friend as he plays with one of the liquid eyeliner displays.

            “There’s no one else in here, Lyds.” He flails his arms around him, almost knocking over a cup of eyeliner pencils. “Besides, I just wanted to talk to you about the party tonight. You’ve avoided the topic whenever I bring it up; I figured if I cornered you at work you’d have to listen to me. You haven’t told me if you’re planning on coming or not. I know that you had that thing with Aidan, and he says he might come with Ethan and Danny. But, you know, you’re my best friend so you get seniority over Aidan any day, so don’t let him maybe showing up affect your decision.”

            “Oh my god, Stiles. You know that I always come to your stupid parties. I don’t care about Aidan. It was like two times, he was a distraction, that’s all. Did you forget that Jackson came to my birthday party like a month after we broke up?”

            “Then why haven’t you gotten back to me?”

            “I’ve just been busy with work and prepping for leaving in the fall. Now, either buy something or get out, Evil Kate is working today.” She nods toward where her unpleasant manager is working across the store.

            “Fine, I’m going. I’m not in the market for new cologne anyway. I’m quite happy with the one I currently have,” he declares with a smirk covering his lips. “I will see you tonight!” He tosses over his shoulder as he nods at two young teenage girls that are walking into the store.

            “See ya,” she calls back, rolling her eyes at him fondly. “Do you ladies need any help?” She smiles at the two girls. While she’s explaining the difference between brands of concealer she hears Evil Kate’s voice asking someone what she could help them with.

            “My personal favorite is Cle de Peau, but with your darker complexion−” Lydia pauses mid-sentence when she hears the masculine voice responding to Evil Kate. Her eyes lock on his, he smiles and nods. She watches as he refocuses on Evil Kate and explains to her what he needs. Lydia lightly shakes her head and squares her shoulders.

            “Sorry about that, where was I?” She continues to help the young girls while Evil Kate assists the man, while flirting heavily. Lydia refuses to give in to the craving to look at him one last time when she hears him thank Evil Kate and leave. She pushes the thought of him out of her mind completely for the remainder of her shift. Knowing Stiles, there will be plenty of potential distractions at his party that night.

/\ \/ /\ \/

            “Why did I let you drag me to this? I feel so old.”

            “Kali, you’re two years older than me. Plus, Stiles’ boyfriend is in college, so I’m sure some of the guests are older too.” Lydia assures her as they stand near said boyfriend’s house looking out at all of the people in the back yard.

            “He’s kind of cute,” Kali says, nodding to a dark-skinned guy who’s walking with purpose.

            “His girlfriend Erica thinks so too. His name is Boyd and he’s a year younger than me.”

            “What about that kid?” She asks, pointing out the tall blond with curls.

            “Isaac, my age, but gay. He’s pining after his best friend Matt, who is completely oblivious and totally obsessed with Allison.” Lydia explains and indicates everyone she mentions.

            “I’ve met her right, you two are friends?”

            “Stiles is really close to her boyfriend, Scott. Wait, ex-boyfriend, maybe. We’ve hung out before; the two of us don’t have much in common though. Plus she and Scott break up and make up a lot; it’s hard to keep up sometimes.”

            “Him? He looks older at least, or even the chocolaty one talking to him,” Kali narrows her gaze in on the two of them.

            “They are a few years older than me,” Lydia affirms with a nod. “The one is Camden, Isaac’s older brother. I can’t remember the other one’s name, Ben maybe, but I remember seeing him around school. Why don’t you go talk to them?”

            “You try to have some fun,” Kali says, pointing her black fingernail at Lydia before making her way toward them.

            She’s approached by three old hookups within the next hour. She sends each of them on their way though, she’s looking for someone new to distract her. She hears someone approach the area behind her, their cologne reaching her nose first. A smile covers her face almost instantly; she tries to rein it in before speaking. “ _Ralph Lauren_ , huh?”

            “ _Polo Double Black_ , I was informed that it was a favorite of yours.”

            “Really?” She asks as she finally turns to look at him. “And who exactly informed you of that?”

            He tilts his chin up to indicate who the informant is; she follows this line with her gaze to see the host of the party grinding against his boyfriend.

            “How do you know Stiles; actually, what are you even doing here?”

            “I heard there was a party, one that a certain fragrance clerk would be attending, so I invited myself,” he smirks at her.

**Author's Note:**

> The mystery man is Peter Hale!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading.


End file.
